Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Cold, Snow, Ice....

Before I could get to the annual round of gift weaving, I had to weave off this silk fabric:

This has been on the loom since June or July, perhaps the longest any warp has languished on my loom in my 30 years of weaving.

I do love the fabric, it was not hard to weave, and it would have been nice to have the shirt it will become for several events in the recent past. But alas, it took me months to get to it, and I really only finished it under the pressure of getting other things on and off the loom.

I have one floor loom.

This means that I need to weave off a project before another can get started, unlike knitting, where I can start and store lots of projects on the needles.

I don't want another loom, I like the idea that projects are at least woven off, if not sewn up, in a timely manner, well, mostly, sometimes, usually.

I was happy to be back throwing the shuttle too, the rhythm and habits returned (happily) in a few moments. The silk warp was finished, the new warp went on, and weaving began again. This warp is almost done, and then another warp will go on and be woven off by Sunday.

I love the speed and cadence of the work at the loom. I'm accustomed to it, it suits me, and it just feels like all is right in those moments.

Some knitting has occurred too:

Gift knitting. Happy, happy, joy, joy: done. Details of these will be up on Ravelry soon, in my projects.

But now? It's evening, I'm tired, the fire is lit, dinner is cooking, time for a glass of wine, feet up and yes, some knitting.

I too have only one loom. I'm sure we are in the distinct minority! I periodically covet a second loom, especially when I find I can't take part in a Complex Weaver's exchange because I haven't calculated carefully enough to have my loom empty when it is time to weave. Otherwise I have no desire to have two weaving projects going simultaneously.......unlike knitting!

I have two looms, but for a fairly luddite reason. My main loom has lots of shafts and a computer dobby setup. My secondary loom has treadles - in the event that there's ever a computer problem, I won't be stymied while waiting for resolution. Of course, right now, both looms have been idle for way too long. :-(

I absolutely love this time of year, ice on the roads and all. I love the projects, the sharing with friends and the warmth of a woodstove fire. You have a long history in the fiber arts so it's no accident that you should share the friendship of other fiber artists.

I came to the fiber arts by a fluke, a complete accident via an email invitation. Fiber artists are the most amazing people and the best of all friends. The friends I have made through the fiber community are one of my Christmas presents. What if I had never gone to that first tentative exploratory guild meeting????

Smashing sock pattern! And to my great joy, I actually have the book. Another project to add to the growing list....Nothing but rain here at the minute. I yearn for your snow.Have a happy Saturnalia.....